Of Mammals and Birds
by Soul Stealer 2K4
Summary: Set after 'The Otter Woman'. Marlene is put in with the penguins overnight while her enclosure is being cleaned and de-clorinated, but her presence forces Skipper to confront his feelings for her. Can he overcome his stoic demeanor and tell her the truth? Or will she beat him to it? *Two Shot*
1. Awkwardness

A/N: Hi there, this is my first Penguins of Madagascar fic, so I apologise if sometimes the characters are a bit OOC.

Reviews would be appreciated, thanks x

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It had only been a few hours since the Arlene/Marlene incident had been cleared up, and the powers that be decided to put the otter into the penguin enclosure for the time it would take to empty, clean and refill her over-chlorinated pool.

However, the penguins initial reaction of extreme approval towards 'Arlene', and the resulting revelation that it was in fact Marlene with bleached fur, meant it was going to be an awkward night for them all, but no doubt it would be the most awkward for their leader.

For as much as Skipper maintained that his open flirting with the bleached Marlene was just an act, the youngest recruit sensed it was far more genuine than his commander was admitting to.

It had not gone unnoticed to Private that there were sparks of something in the air whenever Marlene and Skipper were together, and this whole scenario only fuelled his theory. As he set up a separate sleeping area for their mammalian guest, per his orders, he considered the pros and cons of probing Skipper for the truth. Dare he break rank and approach his superior officer about something so personal?

Maybe later… If the opportunity presented itself… And Marlene was out of earshot…

"Private!"

The young penguin was startled by the sudden shouting and fell backwards.

"At ease, soldier," Skipper assured, "I just came down to see if you were finished setting up."

"Uh, yes Skippah," Private replied as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Good job Private," He praised and proceeded to inspect the spare bed that had been prepared. "Marlene should be plenty comfortable here."

Private nervously twiddled his flippers. This seemed the perfect chance to get some answers from Skipper, but what to say? The direct approach wouldn't work, he knew that the tactical penguin would not admit to anything, but perhaps an alternate way of questioning would get the results he wanted.

"Skippah, I uh… I need some advice,"

"Well of course soldier," He grinned confidently. "What kind of advice d'you need?"

"Do you think…" Private paused for a moment, took a deep breathe and continued. "…Do you think interspecies relationships can work?"

"What the-?" At first he was shocked, but suddenly a thought occurred and he sighed in disbelief. "Oh for the love of - is this about Shawna again?"

"Er, well, yes and no," He blushed as he recalled the crush he had on the zoo vet's intern. "I just wonder if it's strange for a bird and a mammal to, you know, fall in love."

"What are you getting at?" Skipper narrowed his eye suspiciously.

"Kowalski's in love with Doris, she's a mammal," Private explained. "And there was that tayra that Rico got involved with in Guatemala, remember?"

He opened his beak to give an answer… and found himself speechless. He contemplated the idea of mammals and birds, and the likelihood that two very different species could fit together so well. Surely the possibility was there, after all, how else would the platypus have come into existence? His mind drifted to thoughts of the days events, and his reaction to 'Arlene'. Not to mention the following shock when he figured out that Arlene was actually Marlene with bleached fur.

He had always been close to Marlene, she was cute and fun – if a little naïve – and her habitat was next door to theirs so they spent a lot of time together. When he thought Arlene had done something bad to her he was furious, and when he was in the middle of telling the other penguins his theory about Marlene's disappearance, he finally realised the truth. And to make matters worse, he'd said and did things around her that made him look such a fool.

It was only in convincing the others that Marlene must have been brainwashed that he managed to save face.

He noticed Private staring at him and he realised that he had yet to answer the question put before him; is it strange for two different species to fall in love.

"No Private," Skipper announced. "I don't think it's strange, I've heard it said that love transcends all differences."

"So, uh, let's say I have a bird friend who, um, likes someone who is a mammal," He nervously began. "What advice should I give them?"

Skipper, who until now had been staring off into the distance, sharply turned to his associate and frowned.

"Woah, woah, woah!" He snapped. "I certainly hope you aren't implying anything, soldier; any conspirators in my ranks are liable for court martial!"

"No, no, I uh, I- I just want my friend to be happy!"

Skipper backed off and sighed.

"I'm sorry Private, I didn't mean to bark at you," He put a flipper on Private's shoulder. "It's been a long day."

He watched his commanding officer walk away and climb up the ladder, all the while putting on a front for the others for when he reached the top. Now alone again, he couldn't help but feel like he crossed a line, or perhaps skirted too close to what was obviously a sensitive subject. He too headed up the ladder, hoping that their conversation had a least started the ball rolling in Skipper's mind.

_**Later That Night…**_

Skipper couldn't sleep. He'd tossed and turned for what felt like hours, his mind going over and over the discussion he'd had with Private. Everyone else was asleep, and it was so frustrating to be awake when the others were all snoozing soundly. He rolled onto his stomach and sighed. For a while he gazed at the floor, unsure of what to do. It was rare for him to be restless over anything, and it had been a long time since the last sleepless night. So long that he wasn't sure how to break it.

Perhaps a midnight snack would help. Kowalski kept a stash of fish in his lab in case he got creative block while inventing; surely he wouldn't mind Skipper having some, given the unusual situation. He quietly climbed down from his bunk and tip-toed past his sleeping team. He reached the lab door and looked out the corner of his eye, at the sleeping figure on the other side of the room.

There was Marlene, out like a light.

Not wanting to linger, he slipped into the lab and raided the fridge for some anchovies. On his way back, he couldn't help but glance over at Marlene. Although it was a well known fact that she snored, tonight she was relatively quiet; her snoring had been replaced with sudden fidgeting. It looked like she was having a bad dream and as she shuffled, she kicked her blanket away. Skipper paused and ate one of the anchovies while considering his options.

He could just head back to his bunk and continue his fruitless attempt to sleep, but seeing her shiver, he couldn't just walk away. No matter how tired he was, he knew he'd feel worse knowing she was uncomfortable, when simply draping the blanket over her would be a harmless enough gesture.

Leaving the anchovies on the floor for a moment, Skipper reached for the blanket a few feet away. As he laid it over the twitching otter she suddenly grabbed one of his flippers. She had quite a grip – he tried to pry his flipper loose but she wouldn't let go. He couldn't pull too hard or she might wake up, but every time he pulled, she held on tighter.

He looked around and tried to formulate a plan. Then he saw the anchovies he got from the lab. If he could just get to those fish, he could wave one near her nose and hopefully coax her into letting go of him. He leaned over to grab one of the anchovies, but they were slightly out of his reach.

Just as he managed to grab one, he lost his balance and started to fall. Marlene, who still had tight hold of his flipper, yanked him forward so hard that he landed face first on the floor. Dazed and faintly bruised, he lifted his head, only to find himself barely an inch away from the sleeping otter.

This was not the first time Skipper had found himself in such close proximity to Marlene, however this was not like any other up-close encounter they'd had in the past. He could feel her gentle breathing on his face; her furry paws kept a firm grip on his flipper and pulled him closer. The usually composed penguin could feel his feathers ruffling and his face was burning a fierce red.

Then his paranoid mind flew into overdrive. What if one of the other penguins woke up and saw the two of them together? What would they think seeing their leader snuggled up with Marlene? And how would Marlene react if she suddenly awoke and saw him laying so close to her? In fairness, it was her fault. _She _was the one who grabbed him and wouldn't let go, _she _decided to pull him closer. Even if she was sleeping, she still instigated this whole situation herself.

He had to admit though; it was a very relaxing place to be. Her chocolate brown fur was so soft and warm. Just being near her was so comforting that he struggled to stay awake. No, he couldn't fall asleep, not here. He had to get back to his bunk, but there was no way he could pry his flipper away without disturbing Marlene, especially seeing how she looked so peaceful and content.

Skipper did not like to admit defeat, however it appeared that he had been bested. It left him with little choice but to have a quick nap and hope that Marlene would eventually let go. He was so tired, and she was so snugly. He could always feign being a sleepwalker if it came to that. As he settled down next to her, he couldn't help but smile. Something about being beside her felt so right…


	2. Revelations

A/N: A big thank you to all who have reviewed so far, and to all who have read this fanfic and enjoyed it. I may start a drabbles fanfic for this pairing as I've become quite attached to it.

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When Skipper woke up several hours later, he was alone in the habitat. His team mates were not in their bunks, Marlene had gone, and so had the anchovies he'd left on the floor. He sat up and yawned. As he felt a twinge bubble up in his head, he knew it must be about mid-morning. Years of getting up at 0600 hours meant that sleeping in often left him with a debilitating headache.

He rubbed his head and recalled the wonderful dream he had. Marlene was in it, sleeping peacefully and nuzzling him. It felt so real. Her soft fur, her subtle breathing, her warm paws pulling at his flipper and drawing him closer to her. She still smelt heavily of chlorine and-

His feathers fluffed up and his cheeks burned as he realised that it wasn't a dream. Suddenly, the events of the previous night raced through his mind. The sleeplessness, the anchovies, getting dragged to the floor by the flinching otter; how was he ever going to face her again?

She obviously woke up before him, she must have noticed that he was literally right up against her. And what of the others? Had his team mates seen the two of them? While perfectly innocuous, the situation must have looked very wrong from an outside perspective.

"Morning, sleepy-head!"

"Aaah!" Skipper yelled out in surprise.

"Woah, you okay there?"

He looked up and saw Marlene standing over him.

"Of course, Doll face," He replied, trying to regain his composure. "Just not used to sleeping in, that's all."

"No kidding, when your alarm went off this morning I nearly jumped out of my skin," She giggled. "I'm surprised you didn't hear it."

"Did, uh, the boys get up on time?"

"Yeah, they sprang out of bed and started doing their usual morning thing… oh, and they made this for you for when you woke up." She handed him a cup of lukewarm fish coffee.

"Thanks." He said, taking a sip.

"Listen," Marlene began. "I just wanted to thank you for letting me stay here."

"Any time, Marlene," He smiled.

Skipper, his face still red with embarrassment, was unsure how to broach the subject of last night or this morning. Marlene sat next to him and observed his blushing face with curiosity. She had never seen him blush before, he was always such a stoic and collected penguin. To see him as anything other than the cool-headed commander of the penguins was rare. Of course, being watched only made Skippers face burn a deeper shade of red.

"I haven't slept that well in ages," She said, breaking the silence as she stretched her arms. "And I had a funny dream too – about being caught in a freezing cold rip tide, when this warm cloud lifted me up and carried me away – kinda cheesy, huh?"

"I wouldn't say it was cheesy, but how often do you have dreams like that?"

"Not very often, but I don't stay here very often either," She reflected, shuffling closer to Skipper. "I hope my snoring didn't keep you awake!"

"Well, actually, you didn't snore at all."

"That's good, because when I woke up this morning you were lying next to me, and the last thing I wanted was to deafen you with my snores."

Skipper spat out his mouthful of coffee and his feathers ruffled even more. He jumped up and stuttered madly, trying to explain how he came to be in that position. She'd never seen him so flustered, not since yesterday at least. In his current state, she would never get a word in edgeways, so she waited for him to get close and grabbed his beak with both paws.

"Calm down," she soothed. "You don't have to explain anything, but I do need you to listen."

Skipper relaxed slightly and settled down enough that she felt it no longer necessary to hold his beak shut.

"We've been friends for a long time, you and I, and recently I've found myself wanting to be around you more," Marlene took a deep breath and sighed. "Every day, these feelings get stronger, and with everything that happened yesterday I feel it's time to tell you that…"

Skipper leaned in towards her.

"Look, I've never felt this strongly about anyone or anything before," She paused and nervously rubbed her arm. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

He hung on her every word and wiggled his left flipper as if encouraging her to continue.

"Skipper…" She started, putting her paws on his shoulders and taking another deep breath. "I'm in love with you!"

Immediately she recoiled and turned away from him, her face now as red as his was. He gently smiled and reached out to touch her. He curved his flipper round her heated cheek and tenderly moved her head towards him, until their eyes met. She couldn't help but notice his bright red blush had lessened to a slight salmon pink.

"Marlene, I've learned a lot from you," He softly spoke. "About enjoying life and having fun, but most importantly, you made me realise that I can be a tough, no-nonsense leader and still love someone with all my heart…"

"Wha-what are you saying?"

"You have given me your love Marlene," Skipper grinned. "Will you accept mine?"

"Of course!" the excited otter squealed.

Happy tears streamed down her face as she lunged towards him, accidentally knocking him on his butt in the process. Leaning on his chest, she could hear his heart beating rapidly. She almost couldn't believe this was happening, it was like a dream come true.

For a long time she'd had a crush on Skipper, but he never seemed to show much interest, he was always busy doing recons and other penguin missions. Mind you, he did come running if he ever heard her scream, or if she needed help. When he was having a gender identity crisis, she was the one he came to for advice. And he had saved her on several occasions, like from the booby traps in the tunnels under her habitat, or when they'd been snowed in the snack shop with Officer X.

As they sat on the floor, wrapped in warm embrace, the world around them seemed to disappear…

"Okay Skipper, the otter enclosure is now ready for Marlene and-" Kowalski stopped and tried to make sense of what he saw.

Marlene and Skipper looked up at Kowalski and blushed the same shade of red.

"Uhh, this isn't what is looks like," Marlene stuttered.

"Well, actually," Skipper corrected. "It kind of is…"

Kowalski slowly put two and two together. He was no fool, although he'd done some foolish things in the name of love. He was still trying to win the heart of his beloved Doris. Seeing his commanding officer in a loving hug with their otter neighbour gave him secret hope for himself and his dolphin crush.

"Congratulations," Kowalski smiled. "I'll uh, leave you two alone for now."

"Kowalski, not a word to Private or Rico," Skipper ordered before beaming happily at Marlene. "We'll tell them ourselves."

"What, right now?" She asked.

"Whenever you're ready Doll face," He assured, standing up and helping her to her feet as he did so. "A covert penguin like myself knows how to keep things classified."

Marlene smiled. The Sky Spirits knew how hard it was to keep her feelings secret from Skipper and the other penguins. She wondered how long Skipper had felt this way about her and whether he struggled to hide it from his team. He was such a composed individual, she imagined it would not be hard for someone like him to keep such things hidden. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to keep their newfound relationship a secret.

As they approached the ladder that lead out onto the white platform of the penguin enclosure, she stopped. Sensing the need for a private word between the two, Kowalski went up the ladder first. Skipper gave her a curious look. Her cheeks had gone slightly red and she tapped her paws one over the other nervously.

"Marlene…?" He began.

"Would you mind if we told them now? You know, about us?" She asked.

"Fine by me, but are you sure? I don't want you to feel rushed into anything…"

"I know, the idea frightened me at first, but I can't keep good news to myself," She leaned over and kissed Skipper's cheek.

His face began to burn once more and he placed his flipper over where she had just kissed him. She giggled at the dazed look on his face and started up the ladder. Still reeling over the impulsive show of affection, Skipper watched Marlene reach the top and wave him up. He would have to thank Alice for inadvertently bringing the two of them together. Perhaps a couple of days reprieve from their often destructive missions would suffice. Regardless, he knew this was the start of something wonderful...

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Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it! I tried to keep the characters as 'real' as possible, by trying to imagine those characters saying what I had written. Hope it worked! Thanks again x


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